Charles McKinney Nice papers, 1939-1999.

Abstract: Charles McKinney Nice of Birmingham, Ala., served in the Alabama House of Representatives, 1954-1958; as circuit court judge, 1974-1982; and. after that, as family court judge until his retirement in 1988. The collection consists of correspondence, writings, and other materials, chiefly relating to Nice and his judicial career. Some materials document Nice’s stands against race discrimination as a legislator and against capital punishment as a judge. Correspondence, largely 1970s and 1980s, includes personal and professional letters written and received by Nice, who was a prolific letter writer with interests in history and politics.Included are letters, chiefly about politics, from Terry Sanford, Alabama politicians, and others. Most letters are from Nice’s tenure a circuit court judge in Jefferson County, Ala. Writings include copies of journals Nice wrote throughout his lifetime. Most of the journals contain reminisces about cases he handled and about the end of his career on the bench. Also included are contemplatory writings by Nice about politics and his time in the Alabama legislature.The bulk of the newspaper clippings are about judicial cases, including some relating to death penalty cases over which he presided. Also included are election materials, speech notices, and genealogy materials chiefly relating to the Nice and McKinney families.